Pipe Retort

[irish]

very cool!!! Thanks for video. I will have to get me one now.

 

[romeowood]

Yeah, I cobbled that one together (after a frightful weekend in Florida with a mad Russian woman in a '59 T-bird fighting with her brother and for all I know they've been deported or defected...but that's another story entirely). It's a small volumetric flask, and the test tube clamp should give some sense of scale. It's nearly impossible to find a small retort though; I've been searching for a local glassblower to fabricate for me but without much luck yet. Is there interest in this? Should I redouble my efforts to get a few of these made for members?

 

[bootlegbonvivant]

Hmmm, we have a glass blower close to us in a city called Helen. I wonder if they'd be up to making some for us.
The big question would be if the glass they use can withstand the heat. But I'd assume so, being that they use a blowtorch to blow the glass.
Cyndi, might be time for another trip up to Helen, lol.
And Romeo, any story with Russians in it should be interesting.

 

[romeowood]

And Romeo, any story with Russians in it should be interesting.

Nyochin harascho, tavarish. This is a family place.
Re: the glass, borosilicate is what you want. The material cost is a bit higher than the "average" glass, I am to understand.

 

[marmal4de]

I'd pay for one if you got a few, Romeo.

 

[bubbadreier]

I would buy one as well!

 

[misterrogers]

I bought mine on eBay and gave it a try yesterday. It does good work, though it is surprising to feel the content shoot into the pipe.
Now I've just need to head down to North Carolina with the parents and get some Everclear.

 

[romeowood]

I'll report back in a few days when the retort materials arrive in that case.

 

[romeowood]

OK, so I've thrown caution (and credit cards) to the wind and ordered supplies for a dozen retorts. Prices have gone up considerably on laboratory glassware, WTF!

I'll post a picture when they're assembled; they'll look quite a bit nicer than the pic above. They will consist of the glass retort bulb, a length of surgical tubing, test tube clamp and an alcohol burner (trust me, you really don't want to do this over the stove, and candles are sooty and a crappy flame temperature), all for $30. This covers my materials plus about 3$ to ship it. If you live in the States, that is. I'll have some time this weekend to make them and box them up, and can mail them on monday. Shoot me a PM and we can sort details.

 

[tslex]

Romeo, I'm cosnidering getting in line for one. You're a good guy to make the offer.
I have a question: any reason you could not use Everclear or Bacardi 151 in this? I do not like the idea of isopropyl alcohol in my pipes and so stick with some form of EtOH. (Actually use Wild Turkey for casual cleanings, but Everclear or 151 rum is good for salt treatments, etc.) I have only ever seen the 150 Everclear for sale hereabouts.
Or would Everclear be too volatile to use in this apparatus. Seems like this is pretty low pressure (only the cotton at the end is containing it) but that there would be a lot of free vapor wafting about.

 

[romeowood]

I use an Everclear-equivalent (rectified spirit made for consumption); you can also use wood alcohol or just high-grade denatured alcohol. Isopropyl leaves sulphur and is generally nasty. Booze (like rum or whiskey) leaves booze residues, is not of an appropriately high concentrated strength, and is not recommended. I should type up some sort of informational sheet to go with these; I'll add it to the list. And no, I will not accept any liability if you destroy your eyebrows, your kitchen, or your marriage with these. Blood from a stone and all.

 

[bubbadreier]

Sign me up for one romeowood!

 

[romeowood]

Ok, so far Bubba and Marmalade, 8 more to go and I break even. Woot :!:

 

[mp31guitar]

Sign me up for one too. THANKS. :D

 

[smokindawg]

I have one I've been using for about 3 years now and I've done quite a few really nasty pipes using it. Works great every time.

 

[bubbadreier]

I have got some pipes that I am ready to use it on! ::

 

[romeowood]

UPDATE: The glassware order is delayed until the first or second week of September, unfortunately--problem with the manufacturer. This is actually what got me wanting to make my own in the first place--for such seemingly simple components, they're hard as heck to get ahold of and even harder to find at a non-ridiculous price. Thus ordering them a case at a time, but I don't want to get stuck with a dozen components I'll use to gather dust, not to mention the expense (172$ for a case of glassware). Anywho, I'll of course post a new thread when the supplies arrive, and ask that y'all can be patient with me.

 

[marke]

It looks like a good way to clean a pipe stem. A couple of things: 1) When I took chemistry in college we always used a "boiling chip" in the bottom of the boiling flask to prevent the liquid from explosively flashing. A boiling chip is nothing more than a tiny piece of glass or a pottery shard. It encourages the liquid to start to boil gently. 2) Somebody else already mentioned this. Use an alcohol lamp. The flame burns cooler and it isn't sooty. It can burn ordinary rubbing alcohol. But, "denatured" alcohol works the best. Any good drug store can fix you up. In fact all of the stuff shown, except for the Pyrex retort, can be bought at a drug store.

 

[marke]

Alcohol lamp for $3: http://www.usmarkerboard.com/i/97-5314-Alcohol-Lamp-60-ml-2-oz/149406

 

[tsogiannis]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PIPE-RETORT-for-estate-pipes-PYREX-Free-shipping-Dunhill-pipe-NOT-INCLUDED-/150869728776?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2320895e08
take a look at this